David Raffin

Just another way the 1950s were different than now

When Buddy Holly said :

“my love bigger than a Cadillac”

the thing  you need to know is that, in the 1950s, things being equal to, larger than, or – God forbid –  smaller then a Cadillac was an important unit of standard measurement.

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All hail the Blackberry, thorny fruit

Folklore in the United Kingdom is told that blackberries should not be picked after Old Michaelmas Day (11 October) as the devil (or a Púca) has made them unfit to eat, by stepping, spitting, or fouling on them. There is some value behind this legend as wetter and cooler weather often allows the fruit to become infected by various molds such as Botryotinia which give the fruit an unpleasant look and may be toxic.

Source: Blackberry – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

Seattle Soup, Salad, and Ice Cream

The bathroom at the ice cream store features fine art on black velvet.

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I joined the Vegetarians of Washington and was handed a folder full of coupons. One was for Seattle Salads. Seattle Salads is a small place that serves Salad and Soup. Both the Salad and Soup were good. I had the Kale Lemon Tahini salad. It had carrots, avocado, and more in it. I also had the Curry Coconut Garbanzo soup with quinoa.

Kale Lemon TahiniCoconut Curry Garbanzo over Quinoa

Later in the day I used a coupon for Full Tilt Ice Cream, which has non-dairy  ice cream made from coconut milk.

Two Vegan Scoops: Chili Mango and Almond Joy.

emotional content

Emoticon by Richard F. Yates
via his site image links to

I lost my emotions in a previous decade.

Coincided with a war, I think.

I simply put them somewhere and they disappeared. I can only assume someone took them. And somebody is out there right now, you see, playing with my emotions.

 

Sexism, Arbitrary Ethnic Humor, and Science.

Three men walk into a bar…
At this point a lady asks me, “Why men?” And I say, “It’s a sexist joke.”

This art stolen from Richard F. Yates, C'mon, click it.

This art stolen from Richard F. Yates, C’mon, click it.

Three Swedes walk into a bar. It is full of leprechauns. It is the wrong bar. They are lost. “Who is lost, the Swedes or the leprechauns?”

The Finnish man asks the Irish man how it’s going. “Oh, could be worse. I still have the one leg.” Arbitrary Ethnic Humor.

Science is the cruelest discipline. Followed by comedy.
When science and comedy meet they intersect. And then they are dissected. It is cruel. Doubly so. Cutting.
Three scientists walk into a bar. It is the start of a cruel social experiment. The result is a matter of interpretation. Based on evidence.
One scientist says to the other, “I thought you were in control.”
“No,” says another, “I said I was the control.” Misinterpretation=comedy.
The role of the third scientist is observational. The humor in this needs no explanation, as it is universal.

Three bears walk into a bar. They argue about the relative coldness of the porridge. Then they start to make trouble.

Three Magi walk into a bar. It’s a setup. They are robbed of precious metals and fragrant oils.
Two thousand years later, three mobsters walk into a bar, only to discover that it’s a setup. They sit there, feeling foolish, waiting for the inevitable punchline.
The joke goes right over their heads. They are not the intended audience. No, this joke is not for them.

Three men walk into three different bars, simultaneously. Joke averted.

A Priest, a Rabbi, and a Laughing Hyena walk into a bar. The bartender asks, “Is this a joke?” There are many hurt feelings this day.

Perils of Free Thought: a book of no small danger [amazon asin=B0080AGLNC&template=iframe image]